Jewelry and watch cleaning apparatus



March 1932- R. c. TITUS JEWELRY AND WATCH CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 16 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR 4 g 534,4

ATTORNEY March 1, 1932. R. c. TITUS 1,843,034

JEWELRY AND WATCH CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 16, 1951 s Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY March 1, 1932. R, c T|TUS JEWELRY AND WATCH CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 16, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fol/1'6 (5 7.75213 TOR Y & m3 x. m i k Wx ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 1, 1932 PATENT OFFICE ROLLIE C. TITUS, OF FRESQUE ISLE, MAINE JEWELRY AND WATCH CLEANING APPARATUS Application filed February 16, 1931. Serial .No. 516,268.

latter.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character, wherein a plurality of containers is grouped in close relation and readily accessible for the deposit of articles therein, such as jewelry or parts of watches, and the same will be thoroughly cleaned with suitable cleaning solutions and thereafter dried with dispatch.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character, wherein the same in its entirety is unique and novel in form, the containers or receptacles for the jewelry or watch parts being freely accessible and the cleaning process carried forth automatically, said ap aratus being readily portable and compact or convenience in the operation thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character which is comparatively simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and eflicient in its purposes, strong, durable and inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is an elevation looking toward the apparatus at right angles to the position thereof in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the apparatus comprises a stand, preferably in the form of a platform or table A provided at the corners thereof with supporting feet B of any desirable type, so that the platform or table will be maintained level when upon its support. Arranged on the platform or table A, near one end thereof, the platform or table being preferably of rectangular shape, although it may be of any other contour, is an elevated disk 5 supported upon vertical studs 6 sustaining the disk at the proper spaced relation from the upper surface of the platform or table A. This disk constitutes a container rack, the same being peripherally cut into to provide circular sockets or recesses 7 which are diametrically opposed, and removably fitted therein are glass jars 8 and 9, the jars 8 being closed at their bottoms and have threaded necks 10 at their opposite open ends for the detachable mounting thereon of removable threaded caps 11, while the jar 9 is provided with an open bottom 12 and an opposite open threaded neck 13. The open bottom 12 of the jar 9 is adapted to be superimposed u on the top heating plate 14 of an electric heating unit 15 suitably mounted and supported on the platform or table A in confronting relation to the socket or recess 7 for said jar 9.

Arranged centrally of the rack 5 and fixed by a base bearing '16 is a vertical tubular column 17 which rises the desired height from the plane of the rack 5 and trained through this column 17 is a rigid blower tube 18, the latter extended above the column and having connected thereto a flexible tube 19 which extends downwardly and connects with a rigid section 19' passing through a cap 20 for the jar 9 to the desired distance within the latter, the cap and section being joined while the said blower tube 18 extends downwardly through the rack 5 and platform or table A beneath the bottom of the latter, thence upwardly through said platform or table, whence it is coupled with a rotary blower 21 superimposed upon the platform or table A at a convenient point thereof.

Superimposed and suitably made fast upon the platform or table A at the desired 10- cality thereof, is an electric motor 22 and through the pulley arrangement 23 with its power shaft and the belt 24, the blower 21 is coupled therewith, the belt 24 being trained over a ulley 25 on the shaft of the blower.

Slidzibly fitted on the column 17 is a cou pling sleeve 26 of a pipe-like hanger 27, the latter carrying the cap 20 for the jar 9, thus it being seen that by sliding the hanger 27, relative to the column 17 the cap 20 can be raised and lowered relative to the jar 9 for the capping 01' uncapping thereof, as will be apparent.

Arranged within the jar 9 is a wire mesh basket 28 superimposed upon a perforated coil 29, the latter being formed from the tube 19', and this coil is adapted to be brought to resting position upon the plate l-il of the heating unit 15, but when the cap 20 is removed from the jar 9, the basket 28 and the coil 29 will be lifted therewith. The basket 28 is designed to receive jewelry or parts of a watch and the air from the blower delivered through the pipe 19 into the coil 29 when resting upon the plate lat will be heated and in this manner the jewelry or the parts of the watch within the basket 28 can be dried with dispatch after being subjected to a cleaning solution. The cleaning solution is contained in the respective jars 8 and can be of any nature, preferably such solution used by watch repairers or watch makers.

Tapped with the heating unit 15 and the electric motor 22 are the current wires 30 and 31, these being common to an electric current supply cable 32 having a socket plug terminal 33 to be tapped into an electric current main or the wiring system of a housing, as usual. The Wires 30 have arranged therein a switch 34 and likewise the wires 31 have arranged therein a switch 35 so that electric current can be shut off to the heating unit 15 and to the motor 22 at the will of the user of the apparatus.

Preferably arranged between the jar 9 and the next adjacent jar 8 on the rack 5 is a basket holder 36 which has secured therein a wire basket 37 convenient for receiving articles of jewelry and parts of Watches either after cleaning or prior to the cleaning of the same.

It is of course to be understood that on removal of any one of the caps 11 of the jars 8 and the raising of the hanger 27 to remove the basket 28 and the coil 29 from within the jar 9, the said hanger 27 will be swung arcuately in a horizontal path, whereby such basket and the coil may be lowered into the uncovered jar 8, and when the blower 21 is operating, the air through the tubes 18 and 19 and delivered from the coil 29 will agitate the cleaning solution contained within said jar so that a thorough cleaning of the jewelry or parts of a watch within the basket 28 will be assured.

The hanger 27 is of the required length to permit the basket 28 and the coil 29 to be lowered into any one of the jars 8 or 9 when held within the rack 5 of the apparatus.

The basket 28 may be provided in its bottom with an absorbent or packing, so that the coil, before being placed within the jar 9, may have its surplus solution absorbed and thus prevent the solution from dripping into the heater and causing damage. The apparatus by the arrangement of the jars 8 and 9 in the rack 5, that is, by having such ars located in a circular course permits the user to successively wash and dry articles, as one receptacle will serve for washing, one for rinsing or bleaching and one for drying, and the hanger being supported for rotative movement with respect to the center of the circle formed by the jars enables cooperation with said receptacles in succession as the jars are grouped in close relation and are readily accessible for the deposit of articles therein, such as jewelry or other parts of watches. Under a method of use of the apparatus these articles or parts thereof will be thoroughlycleaned with a suitable cleaning solution or solutions and thereafter dried with dispatch.

From the foregoing, it is thought the construction and manner of use of the apparatus as well as its operation will be clearly understood and therefore, a more extended explanation has been omitted.

lVhat is claimed is An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a stand, a rack on the stand, a plurality of jars removably fitted in the rack, a column extending vertically of the rack, a hanger slidably and rotatably mounted on the column, a cap on the hanger for closing a jar at its top, a blower on the stand, an air delivery tube from the blower and extended downwardly through the cap for po sitioning within any one of the jars, a work support carried by the tube beneath the cap, a perforated coil below the work support carried by and connected with the tube, and means on the stand for operating the blower.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

ROLLIE C. TITUS. 

